The popularity and convenience of the Internet has resulted in the reinvention of traditional telephony services. These services are offered over a packet switched network with minimal or no cost to the users. IP (Internet Protocol) telephony, thus, have found significant success, particularly in the long distance market. In general, IP telephony, which is also referred to as voice over IP (VOIP), is the conversion of voice information into data packets that are transmitted over an IP network. Users also have turned to IP telephony as a matter of convenience in that both voice and data services are accessible through a single piece of equipment, namely a personal computer. The continual integration of voice and data services further fuels this demand for IP telephony applications.
Undoubtedly, the Internet has revolutionized personal and business communication by providing a global medium with powerful services such as the World Wide Web, e-mail, and VOIP. The Internet is a conglomeration of numerous heterogeneous networks, which are linked through internetworking devices, without restriction on the systems that can be a part of this global network. Because of the unrestricted nature, network security issues have garnered significant attention, particularly by service providers that need to ensure timely and secure communications for their customers.
Secure handling of sensitive data has become a very important issue. Hackers have become very sophisticated in their techniques for accessing sensitive data stores. Also, with the increasing popularity of VOIP, there is an increasing potential that these hackers may intercept and use information being transmitted during VOIP sessions. As VOIP technology progresses and users are provided with ever-increasing manners in which to access and utilize VOIP communications, the need to secure data transmitted during VOIP sessions will also increase.
Therefore, there is a need for a way to secure data being transmitted during VOIP sessions.